84 



are taken per outing and that single hunters take game at a higher rate per hunter hour than hunters in 

 larger groups. 



Types of weapons . Hunters used various types of weapons to take game. Approximately 39% 

 of the game was taken by 22 caliber rifles. Game also was taken by traps (9%), shotguns (23% by 16 

 gauge shotguns, 19% by 20 gauge shotguns, < 1% by 12 gauge shotguns), and methods classified as 

 unknown or other (e.g., dogs, rocks, and n\achetes; 10%). 



Rifles and shotguns have been used by hunters at X-Hazil Sur since the early 1900s, when the 

 area was settled (M. Aban Noh, pers. comm.). With the exception of traps, snares, and machetes, 

 none of the older hunters could recall what kinds of weapons their ancestors used. Rifle hunters now 

 primarily used long-rifle and long-rifle hollow point shells (E. Cab Can, pers. comm.). Shotgun 

 hunters primarily used 3F (9 balls per cartridge) and 4F buckshot (12 balls per cartridge; B. Can Chi 

 and M. Aban Noh, pers. comm.). This size of buckshot was sufficiently powerful to kill a deer at 40 

 m distance in an open field. 



Hunters generally did not use a specific type of weapon to take a specific type of game. With 

 the exception of the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecan [Tayassuidae]; 100% taken by 20 gauge 

 shotgun) and the pocket gopher (100% taken by traps or other/unknown), game taxa were taken with 

 several types of we^ons (Figure 3-10). For the white-lipped peccary, brocket deer, collared peccary, 

 and paca, shotguns accounted for 62-100% of the kills per taxon. For the coati (58% by individuals) 

 and agouti (54% by individuals), rifles and weapons categorized as other (especially dogs and 

 machetes) accounted for more than half of the kills per taxon, but shotguns also were used. White- 

 tailed deer were taken by shotguns (83%) and weapons classified as other/unknown (17%), but not by 

 rifle. Among birds, the ocellated turkey (100% by individuals) and the great curassow (69% by 

 individuals) were taken primarily by shotguns, while the plain chachalaca (75% by individuals) and 

 thicket tinamou (62% by individuals) were taken primarily by rifle. 



